HMI—the Thatcher Years

ABSTRACT

This paper seeks to show that throughout its 150 years the work of HMI looked inwards towards education policy and policy makers. Only secondarily did it seek to influence day‐to‐day education matters. At times those two coincided, as at the time of payment by results, and arguably more recently during the ‘Thatcher Years’. The consequence of that inwardness was that the priorities for HMI's work at any given time were decided by the extent and nature of the government of the day's interests in education. Through the 1970s, 80s and 90s successive governments became, and have remained, concerned with education, in particular with quality and standards. The Thatcher governments were no exception and, initially at least, found HMI's advice and judgement invaluable in justifying and shaping education reform. But, as the education service became increasingly influenced by those reforms, Ministers and Prime Ministers became irritated by HMI's output, especially so as by then most of it was published. That irritation, plus the public accountability/charter policies of John Major, led to the demise of HMI and the creation of Ofsted with its outward looking remit. While that has generated useful guidance for schools and those working in, and with them, it has not produced sufficiently focused and timely inspection‐based advice to bring sure‐footedness to policy and policy makers. Nor has Ofsted's much trailed ‘independence’ worked as intended. If Ofsted is to provide useful and sufficient policy oriented advice, and re‐establish the independence of its professional advice and judgement, significant changes will be needed, some of which are outlined in the paper.